Barbie Savior

Barbie Savior – A beautiful parody with a serious background. The campaign, which includes a website, a wonderful blog as well as a very creative Instagram profile, was launched to raise awareness about what is wrong in the “fantastic” world of volunteering. It is a light way to address the difficult topic of the “white savior complex” in a drastic, sometimes a little painful way.

Reviews:

“The satirical account encapsulates what some see as the white saviour complex, a modern version of Rudyard Kipling’s White Man’s Burden.” – BBC News

“The bio for the Barbie Savior Instagram says it all: “It’s not about me… but it kind of is.” – Huffington Post

“Savior Barbie also highlights a point that advocates and experts working on the continent have been observing for years—well-intentioned but naive volunteerism (or “voluntourism“) is at best ineffectual and at worst harmful to the developing countries it’s meant to serve.” – Quartz

“Barbie Savior” is an Instagram account that satirises the messiah complex of affluent westerners who spend time travelling in the developing world.” – The Guardian

“This genius account follows a self-indulgent Barbie as she ignorantly traipses through Africa, heels and handbags in tow, taking selfies with strangers and exploiting the local community along the way. All under the guise of ‘helping’.” – Nubi Magazine